Kelvin Benjamin is headed to the NFL. (Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports)
Florida State wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin told ESPN that he will declare for the NFL draft.
Benjamin, a 23-year-old redshirt sophomore, caught the game-winning touchdown in Monday night’s 34-31 victory over Auburn in the BCS national championship game.
He made 54 catches for 1,011 yards with 15 touchdowns this season.
Benjamin, 6-foot-5 and 234 pounds, is rated as the No. 4 wide receiver and No. 24 prospect overall by NFLDraftScout.com. He is the second redshirt sophomore wide receiver to leave school early, joining Texas A&M’s Mike Evans.
According to NFLDraftScout.com’s report, Benjamin’s blend of size and speed is a potential matchup nightmare for defensive backs at the NFL level. He has very long arms and does a nice job of full extending to create an enormous catching radius for cornerbacks to try to defend. However, he needs to show more development and focus at the catch point to complete catches and do a better job finishing with the ball. He is still raw, particularly at route running, but his long strides and natural tools makes him a very attractive prospect early in the draft.
